A travelling exhibition showcasing the progress and contributions of the Ismaili Muslim community in Canada has been touring British Columbia and is now in its final days at the Ismaili Centre, Vancouver.
On Saturday April 1, the Ismaili community (along with the Vancouver Art Gallery who co- sponsored the event) hosted a discussion with stories of migration moderated by Sirish Rao, Director of Public Engagement and Learning from the Vancouver Art Gallery, Senator Mobina Jaffer and Arran Stephens of Natures Path to an audience that included:
Senator Mobina Jaffer
Anne Kang – MLA – Burnaby Deer Lake
Ruby Campbell – City Councilor – City of New Westminster
Joao Costa – Consul General – Consulate General of Portugal
Manish Manish – Consul General – Consulate General of India
Ghulam Hussain – Vice Consul – Consulate General of Pakistan
Not for profit leaders, representatives from nearby Universities, and members from the Ummah community etc. The panel discussion touched on migration and refugee issues of the day, the personal journeys of the panelists, and the importance of identity and languages.
Samir Manji, President for the Council for British Columbia, in his remarks to the audience stated the following:
“The ongoing settlement of the community here in Canada has also been one deeply shaped and supported by the Government of Canada, the work of the Imamat Institutions and the guidance of His Highness the Aga Khan. It is a story of partnership built upon the bedrock of a shared value system, and a joint commitment to the values of peace, of pluralism, of a respect for diversity and difference, and of the value of service.”
The exhibition commemorates 50 years of the presence of the Shi’a Imami Ismaili Muslims in Canada along with recent immigration stories of other Ismaili newcomers from Syria, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, India, Pakistan and beyond. The exhibit is presented by the Ismaili Council for Canada in collaboration with award-winning Canadian artist Aquil Virani.
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